Kaoru's Tumble
by BishieKeith
Summary: The title isn't all that good, but.. well. When Kaoru falls in the street during a walk to Tae's, it triggers a flashback in Kenshin. A bit of comparision between Kaoru/Tomoe. Trust me, no hating on Tomoe! Reviews welcomed.


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Oh lord, it seems like *all* my fics rotate somewhere around Kaoru being sick. Not true! This just came right before Dreams of Fireflies. So, they're married and all that good stuff. Characters belong to RK, as usual! Reviews and comments appreciated.  
  
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Town was usually a pleasant affair for the two of them, a different pace from the usual quiet life in the dojo. It had rained heavily all morning, leaving small streams to trickle along side the roads. Kaoru was determined to get out that day, after a long hot practice with her students - she couldn't stand the warmth in the dojo, much less the yard in which Yahiko and Sano were engaging in a verbal spar. The culprit was the sweltering heat that had failed to be cooled by the rain and so tempers soared high.   
  
"Kenshin ..?" The young woman was busy trying to comb the waves from her thick black hair, the humidity making it awfully limp. "I'm going to go into town this evening, would you like to come? Tae invited me over for tea."  
  
Kenshin was across the bedroom, kneeling on the floor mat as he wiped a rag over his sword, concerned for the metal in the conditions that today had brought. He could barely stand the pull of his gi over his shoulders, the material already felt too cumbersome even with the sleeves tied back as they were. "That'd be nice." His sword gleamed in the light that fell across it, dancing up the length of the blade - he lifted it, catching the reflection of Kaoru behind him, in her yutaka after the bath. A light, whimsy little smile and the weapon was sheathed.   
  
She blinked and then laughed. "You know, now that Tae has nothing to do but attempt to keep Sanosuke from eating her food, I think she's bored." The bath had cheered her up a bit, even though it aided in the slow overheating of her body. Practice hadn't gone well today, she didn't feel at all focused, and her mind kept drifting off to nowhere in particular. Blank daydreams. "Could you …?"  
  
At this point, her fingers were wrapped around her hair at the back of her head, holding it up in a ponytail as the thick waves flowed out, swaying as she moved her free hand back and forth, trying to tie the ribbon into her hair. Kenshin rose, shuffling across the floor in a near silent manner as he stepped up behind her at the dresser. "Hai." Was the affirmative murmur, as he wrapped his hand over hers at the roots of her hair, waiting until she gave up her grasp before he wrapped the ribbon around, tying and looping it quickly until the bow fell out perfectly. He had enough practice, Kaoru seemed to love it whenever he aided in such things, especially the tying of her obi.  
"Thank you." A broad smile, her scalp tingling from where his fingers brushed as she rose from her chair, shivering at the trail of his hand as she moved away - his knuckles having grazed across her shoulders. "I'll be ready in just a moment."   
  
Leaving Kenshin to himself, she changed into a rather plain kimono with a light design of flowers, slowly wrapping the heavy cloth around her figure. Kaoru only called to him when the obi needed tying, feeling again the smile at her back as he gracefully accommodated her, fitting the material at her back perfectly.   
  
This time, his touch was more lingering and his hands were no where near her hair, they had settled at the flare of her hips, cupping gently. "You do not look so well, perhaps we should stay in today..?" he inquired, brushing his nose against the back of her neck, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply.  
  
Kaoru's heart stilled, then beat rapidly. "No no, I'm able bodied enough! After all, I had a class this morning!" she countered, to prove she was well enough to walk to town. She knew he had quiet little ways to keep her safe from doing things that often brought her harm, and when the next exhale of his breath crept at her neck .. she almost gave into one of them. "Kenshin, if we don't leave now .. we'll be walking home in pitch dark!" Her voice almost gave her away, almost.  
  
A laugh was well hidden in a mumble as his hands gave a gentle squeeze before he stepped away, "Aie, you're right." A well timed pause, he was wonderful at emphasis. "You look lovely." And with that, he was untying the sleeves of his gi, letting them drop down again. Kaoru turned, watched for a moment with rose in her cheeks before she went to the screen door that let into the yard, slipping her feet into her getas.   
  
The walk to the town was relatively quiet, with little chatter between the two. A humid evening such as this required you save your energy for cooler places. The approaching dusk had brought the crickets out, still too early for the fireflies to awaken and begin their flights. Muddy roads, but bearable, Kaoru had little trouble until they reached the main street towards Tae's.  
  
Strangely enough the town was bustling, peddler's out with there wares and housewives skittering about on the streets. The children that were out and playing were all too excited about the weather, hopping in the rain had been trapped on the roofs, catching the droplets on their heads.   
  
Kenshin was at ease in the area's atmosphere, preferring it for the moment as he watched everyone enjoy the bit of freshness the rain brought. His wife on the other hand, was having some awful trouble with her getas. While the water had cleaned the rooftops, it had also given the streets a bit of slick texture. Kaoru, with a practice and a long day under her obi was in no condition to practice such balance to keep her kimono from getting wet in the conditions.   
  
She briefly wondered how warm today was getting, because even though the sun was setting, it felt unbelievably hot. The sticky, irritating and on the edge of shivering as if she were cold. A little pause, so much that Kenshin didn't even notice until she tipped to the side on her getas, an obvious loss in balance as she crumpled down to her knees ungracefully - gasping out a surprised 'Oh!' as pain shocked through her legs. The water from the streets began to soak into the fabric of her kimono, making her forget her pain quickly as she feared ruining the cloth.   
  
Though, all of that was forgotten when a crude laugh broke the silence of the startled pair.  
  
"Oh my!"  
"Look at that clumsy girl, can't she even walk properly?"  
"If I was his wife, I'd be so ashamed!"  
"My husband would give me a good slap! Stupid girl, disrespecting her husband like that."  
  
Kaoru looked in horror across the street, were a group of wives were bunched together, sniggering and sporting sour faces at the fallen girl. That shame did creep on her face, tinting her cheeks dark - instead of that lovely flush she got whenever there was delight. The next sound was her heart, beating loud in her ears as her fierce pride stung her and caused her to look up.  
  
Kenshin look was hardly shamed or embarrassed, but that of worry, his brows softly furrowed as a hand extended down to her. "Kaoru, are you alright?"  
  
Her eyes turned away from him, teeth sinking hard into her lower lip as mixed emotions teased at her. 'Stand up! Don't sit there like an idiot and spoil your kimono …!' Or that of 'They're right, no good wife would take a tumble like that in shoes that were /supposed/ to prove her gracefulness' .. so many of those little jabs hit her.  
  
The worry flared as he watched the color flush from her lips once she bit, opening his fingers further to her. "Kaoru." He repeated, glancing towards her feet to even see if she was attempting to get up. Could she even get up…? There was such a worn expression in her eyes before we left..  
  
A flash. His stomach churned, and then turned as cold as that harsh winter day. The scenery had changed to so long ago, and snow now covered the path that Kaoru was fallen upon … he expected it, to see his former kneeling there, her eyelashes frozen with ice, gazing wide eyed and helpless up to him. There was no Tomoe, and Kaoru was definitely not reacting the same way. He watched, startled and a little frightened inside for her well being as fire flashed into her eyes.   
  
Kaoru rose on her own, snow swirling from her kimono back to the blanketed ground.   
There was a touch .. she had not took his hand, but instead brushed her own over his as she pulled herself up, her fingers gracing up the length of his forearm, settling in the warm crook of his elbow within his sleeves. The color had faded from her cheeks, and there was no longer snow falling from her kimono, but the little droplets of water that had soaked in. No howl of wind, but laughter of children and the faint murmur of the sniping wives in the background. He took a breath, feeling how warm her hand was against his skin .. even in this weather.  
  
"I must've slipped, let's go?" It wasn't so much pride in her eyes, but something else .. she had ignored the barbed words and stood without him, and there was no apology on her tongue for falling. Kaoru had forced the initial feeling of shame down, but pulled on her strength … he married me and took me for who I am, not my assets .. or home .. or name. Let him accept this.  
  
Kenshin smiled at her, silencing the women across the street with the simple curl of his lips. "Hai, we shouldn't keep Tae-domo waiting." Worry was there, but a lifting feeling as well. She was there, in that quick terrible flash back … but she was so calm, so ready to fight that challenge and needed no encouragement to rise. He waited until her hand slid down from his sleeve, and once it passed his own, he grasped it tightly with a squeeze, brushing his thumb across her wrist before releasing, heading with her for Tae's.  
  
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Great Rurouni Kenshin fan comic by reverseblade, Battousai High. http://www.reverseblade.com Wonderfully illustrated and written! A definite must for any Kenshin fan. 


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